Период третий. Жизнь Аврама до его призывания

Abram was born in the one hundred and thirtieth year of the life of Terah, who concluded the second decimal number of the Patriarchs. He entered into marriage with Sarah, whom Chrysostom, in agreement with the Jews, accepts as one person with Eskha, the daughter of his elder brother Arran 67; and Jerome and the Arab writers consider her to be the daughter of Terah himself, only she was not born from the same mother as Abram 68 . The location of this family at this time was Ur 69. He belonged to Chaldea and Mesopotamia, whose borders are confused with each other. The State of the Church in These Times At this time, the Church and faith were apparently in extreme danger. True, one cannot rely with complete confidence on those who say that Serukh introduced idolatry among the Patriarchs 70; that Terah was engaged in making idols; as if Abram knew the one God only by looking at nature 71; and that he was thrown into the fire by Nevrod, which he did not want to bow to, but was miraculously saved from it 72 . But as unreliable as these legends are, on the contrary, the testimony of Joshua is reliable, who classifies Terah among the idolaters 73 . On the other hand, the determination of this Patriarch to leave his fatherland, for which there seems to be no other reason than faith; and the remnants of pure knowledge of God and virtue, long preserved in that part of his offspring that was closer to error, prove that he was not like other idolaters, and that the heavenly light still struggled in him with the darkness that was spread by the prevailing spirit of the times. Thus, the Church, hiding among paganism, almost lost sight of the tribe in which the hope of the promised seed lay; and this tribe was deprived of the protection of its mother. Then it was necessary for God Himself, so to speak, to raise the father of believers: Abram had so much faith to be worthy of revelations and election for this high goal; and saw so many temptations and dangers that to strengthen him he often needed the visible presence of God and repeated repetition of promises. God's first revelation to Abram The first revelation to Abram, described by Moses, was given in Ur. God commanded him to leave his fatherland, promised numerous descendants, the exaltation of his name and the blessing of all nations in it. The consequence of this was Abram's journey with his father and nephew Lot. It was interrupted for some time, probably by the illness of Terah, who died in Harran. Abram immediately gathered up his property and went out with Lot to the land of Canaan, being 75 years old from his birth. He was near Shechem when God appeared to him a second time and declared that this very land would belong to his descendants. The first property that Abram then established on this land was the altar. After this, having crossed its entire length by noon, due to famine, he was in Egypt, where the cunning of hiding his marriage, used by him for his safety, exposed his wife to danger, and the court of the Pharaohs to punishment. Upon his return from Egypt, when Abram, in order to prevent strife between the slaves, invited Lot to choose a special land for himself to inhabit, and peacefully parted with him, letting him go to the east, God appeared to him for the third time at Bethel, and, confirming that all this land would be given to his seed, showed that Lot had no part in this promise. However, this separation did not weaken the love that united these two wanderers. Abram proved this for his part when Lot, with the inhabitants of Sodom and several other cities, was taken captive by the king of Elam and his allies. With three hundred household members and the help of some neighbors, he ventured to pursue the victors; defeated them, and returned his nephew and with him other prisoners. This victory gained him not only the gratitude of those who were delivered, but also the respect of other neighbors, such as Melchizedek, the King of Salem, who brought him bread and wine. He adorned his triumph even more with piety when, respecting the quality of the Priest of God in Melchizedek, he accepted a blessing from him and gave him a tithe from the spoils of war; and selflessness, when with an oath he renounced participation in the fruits of his victory. For the fourth time, God talks with Abram in a night vision, patiently listens to his impatient complaint about childlessness, and with new strength of assurance promises him descendants as numerous as the stars. Abram believes and asks for a sign by which he could know when the time predetermined for the fulfillment of this promise is approaching. Then God, in confirmation of his promises, enters into a covenant with him with solemn rites characteristic of these times: and in the continuation of these rites, Abram, not without fear, learns the future fate of his descendants, who must wander for four hundred years and endure many misfortunes before inheriting the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. Soon after this, Abram received a son, but a son according to the flesh, from a slave. The birth of Ishmael from Hagar might seem reprehensible to his faith, if this were not to be attributed to the beliefs of Sarah. One might think that, due to her barrenness, she did not apply to herself the promises given to Abram; and for this lack of faith God punished her with the grief she suffered from Hagar and her son. In His fifth appearance, God assures Abram that the most important promises of the covenant apply to him and Sarah together. For this purpose, through a slight change of their former names, he gives them a sign of these promises. Abram is renamed Abraham, that is, the high father of many nations; Sarah - Sarah, that is, the mistress of the multitude. And when Abraham, in the simplicity of his heart, with a secret laugh imagines the predicted childbearing of such a couple, one half of which had no more than one son until the hundredth year of their life, and the other half remained barren until the ninetieth year, then God, completing His assurances, from this laughter predicts the name of Isaac for his future son. To this and to his descendants he relates his everlasting covenant, and the many-meaning promise - to be with him in God; meanwhile, at the request of Abraham, Ishmael is promised only the birth of twelve nations or tribes. At the same time, God appoints Circumcision as the visible and hereditary seal of His covenant, to which first Abraham and the entire male sex of his house had to immediately undergo, and then every newborn of his seed, under fear of consumption from his family. This was soon followed by the sixth Epiphany, in which Abraham received and treated three men as strangers, but at the same time recognized them as the Lord, accompanied by two Angels. He again, in the hearing of Sarah, announced the soon to follow birth of a son from her; and, departing, revealed to Abraham His judgment against the wicked cities. The righteous interceded for the wicked in the name of the righteous. God, without promising to change His judgment, justified him, finally saying that he would have spared the whole city of the guilty for the ten righteous people in it. The next day, fire and brimstone fell from heaven on Sodom, Gomorrah, Adam and Seboim, as an indication of the everlasting fire, 74 as the Apostle notes. One small family of Lot, who, at the risk of his family, showed hospitality to the Angels who came to Sodom, was conveniently snatched away by them from the general destruction; but it did not fully take advantage of this benefit, because Lot’s wife, out of addiction to her home and the acquisitions left in it, contrary to God’s prohibition, looked back at it and died an extraordinary death. And he himself, by the cowardice with which he withdrew from Zoar, which God had preserved for him, and by his penchant for drunkenness, gave rise to the crime that his two daughters dared to commit, imagining themselves abandoned by the whole world for their poverty and the misfortune of their city. Meanwhile, Abraham, after his separation from Lot, who lived near Hebron, certainly saw the execution of Sodom not without confusion. He immediately retired to Gerar. Here, his continued previous caution in hiding his marriage with Sarah leads him into a new temptation; but Providence turns it to the glory of this couple. Finally, Abraham is one hundred years old and the son of promise is born. After several years, when Ishmael’s unworthy actions with young Isaac 75 aroused Sarah’s indignation, and she demanded the expulsion of Hagar along with her son, God revealed His will to Abraham for the seventh time, confirming the demand of his wife. As a result of this, the slave girl, like her son, leaves the house of Abraham; and, encouraged by the protection of God, settles in the Paran desert. Abraham, having restored peace in his family, protects his external security by an alliance with Abimelech, the King of Gerar, who is concluded at the oath well. At this place Abraham plants an oak grove and calls on God. But all of Abraham's previous trials were only preparations for one great, divine temptation, to which he was finally to be subjected. Isaac had already grown up, when suddenly God demanded him as a sacrifice. Abraham obeys without question. After a three-day journey, he comes to the land of Moriah, to the mountain shown to him by God, which later was the site of Solomon’s temple; builds an altar; puts his son on him; and, as St. Chrysostom explains, if not with a knife, then with his intention he already slaughters him, unshaken either by fatherly love or by the very promises of God, as God returns it to him and showers him with blessings. This phenomenon in the narrative of Moses seems to be the conclusion of all the revelations given to Abraham, and in fact it reveals, both on the part of Abraham the strongest faith, and on the part of God the highest sacraments, no doubt not in vain. At this time Abraham saw the 76th day of the Redeemer, and earned the title of Father of believers. Abraham's old age was still filled with strength, which the blessing of God supported in him for the multiplication of his tribe. After Sarah died in Hebron and was buried by him in a cave purchased for this purpose, he entered into a new marriage with Heturah, and had six sons from her. He gave each of them, as well as Ishmael, portions of his acquisitions, preserving the full inheritance for Isaac, to whom the promises of God belonged. He died at the age of one hundred and seventy-five, and was buried in the same place with Sarah, having founded his fatherland after death in the place where he had been a stranger during his life. Before his death, Abraham sent his servant to his homeland in Mesopotamia, so that he would take a wife for Isaac from there. Through this embassy Isaac received Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the grandson of Nahor, Abraham's brother. He generously endured her twenty years of barrenness, with which God tempted his faith in the promise; and finally resolved it through the power of prayer. He was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to Esau and Jacob. After Abraham's death, Isaac struggled with new temptations; but not without special heavenly help. He was persecuted by hunger: God Himself appointed Gerara as a refuge for him. He was afraid of the wickedness of the inhabitants of Gerar, but was reassured by the righteousness of their king. His wealth aroused envy and enmity in them, which repeatedly forced him to flee to seek safety: God consoled and encouraged him again by His appearance and promise. Finally, his meekness and God's favor towards him convinced the king of Gerar to again ask for his friendship. It is not known whether this Abimelech was a former ally of Abraham, or one of his successors, called by Moses by a common name; but it is doubtful that this union of Isaac was concluded on the site of the union of Abram, from which this place another time received the name of the oath storehouse, or Bathsheba. Around the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of his life, Isaac began to prepare for death. His weakness of vision, and perhaps also the death of his elder brother, who died at such an age, disposed him to this. Why did he bless his children? In this case, he discovered, on the one hand, his passion for his eldest son, and excessive respect for the advantage of primogeniture, but on the other, the most subtle observation of the ways of Providence, and deep insight and a distant future, so one cannot be quite surprised at this compatibility of the infirmities of a damaged nature with the high powers of Grace. However, his life still continued until he was eighty years old. Properties and lot of Esau and Jacob The Isaac twins had nothing in common after their mother's womb. Even before their birth, Rebekah felt their enmity with extraordinary movements in her womb, and was informed by God that this meant the origin of two rival nations from her, of which the younger would have an advantage over the older. The same foreshadowing was marked in their birth, when the younger one seemed to forestall the older one, holding on to his heel, which was the reason for the name Jacob. Time has shown that meekness was Jacob's character. On the contrary, Esau's wild nature was depicted in his wild appearance and passion for hunting. Having sold his primacy to his brother for food, he revealed a base greed for the pleasures of the senses and a gross inattention to God's promises and spiritual heritage, which were appropriated to those worthy of the birthright. His double marriage with the daughters of Canaan, which was a source of grief for his parents, should be attributed to equally disordered inclinations and self-will. True, despite this, he caught some of Isaac’s favor, delivering him his favorite food from his catch: but it was so pleasing to the justice of God that this imaginary advantage would become a means of his humiliation. When his father, wanting to bless him as the firstborn, demanded a catch from him, then Rebekah, being more attentive to the dignity of justice and the predestination of Jacob in the absence of his brother, cunningly anticipated this blessing for him. It contained an abundance of earthly blessings, power over nations and the brother himself, and, finally, something that an ordinary person would not dare to wish for an ordinary person: a blessing on those who bless and a curse on those who curse Jacob. Isaac soon learned his mistake, but, despite the requests and tears of Esau, he recognized everything that he had given to his brother as inalienable; and he was promised a sharp sword, and, once, the overthrow of his brother’s yoke. Thus, of the two branches from the root of Abraham, one was established to flourish in the house of God and bear the fruit of life; and the other has already been cut off as wild. Jacob's Journey to Mesopotamia Soon, with the blessing of Isaac, Jacob, on the advice of his parents, undertook a journey to Mesopotamia, both in order to hide from the rage of his brother, who in his despair sought his life, and in order to enter into marriage in his mother’s tribe. On the way in the night, which he spent near Luza, God showed him in a dream, in a sign, a staircase connecting earth with heaven, the secret of His gracious looking, and explained the vision, confirming to him the promises given to Abraham, and encouraging him with His protection and safety during his wanderings. In memory of this Epiphany, Jacob erected a stone pillar in this place, and called it Bethel, or the house of God. Upon arrival in Mesopotamia, he worked for seven years with Laban, Rebekah's brother, to marry his youngest daughter Rachel; but, having been deceived, and having received the eldest one instead, he decided to have both, making a promise to serve his father-in-law for another seven years. During this time Leah bears him Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah; and Rachel - Joseph. Their jealousy to have numerous offspring forces him to accept a slave from each of them as a concubine. From these are born to him Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. After the second seven years, Jacob remains for another six years, according to Laban, under the guise of receiving a reward; becomes rich, arouses envy in Laban's house; He leaves secretly, is pursued by him, but, reconciled, continues his journey to the land of Canaan, and sees a regiment of Angels appearing to him as a sign of safety. Without even crossing the Jordan, he sends an embassy and gifts to his brother; and upon learning that he is coming towards you, he becomes afraid. At this time, the Son of God appears to him in the form of a man; has a mysterious struggle with him from midnight until morning; crushes his thigh, but leaves him blessing, victory and the name of Israel, that is, the God-fighter; and thereby foreshadows that he will overcome all obstacles in achieving his high predestination, although not without wounding the flesh. Encouraged, Jacob, after a sincere meeting with Esau, calmly enters the land of Canaan. Jacob spent about thirty-three years 78 in the land of Canaan as the father of a family. At this time, Esau, seeing the blessing of his father already being fulfilled on him, submitted to his fate; and, having concluded all his property in the country of Seir, which he had previously chosen, he completely left the promised land 79. However, this did not make Jacob its calm ruler. He lived in a hut and did not have a permanent residence. At first he settled near Shechem, on land purchased from the previous inhabitants. The dishonor inflicted on Dinah and the cruel revenge of Simeon and Levi for their sister made this place hateful and dangerous. God, comforting Jacob, called him to Bethel, where he again appeared to him and renewed His former promises. Then passing further to the south, Jacob received in Bethlehem another son from Rachel - Benjamin, but at the same time lost his mother. From time to time, his peace was disturbed by other family griefs, such as: the incest of Reuben, the vices of Er and Onan, the sons of Judah, punished by God by their premature death, and, finally, the incest of Judah himself, hardly excused by his ignorance and the lawful intention of Tamar. But nothing touched Jacob more than Joseph's sudden deprivation. Joseph, for all his innocence, fell under the common hatred of his brothers. The reasons for it lay in the sincerity with which he revealed their unworthy actions to his father, in the distinctive love that Jacob showed him before everyone, and in two innocently told dreams that heralded his future greatness. While visiting his brothers in the pasture, he was detained by them, sentenced to death, but, having been saved by the intercession of Reuben, he was sold to the Ishmaelites, and to Potiphar, an Egyptian courtier. Joseph's loyalty and prudence gained him the favor and trust of his master; but he lost his happiness, maintaining his chastity from a shameless mistress, and, having overcome a flattering temptation, suffered a terrible punishment, which, however, he also defeated with generosity and faith. Having explained in prison the dreams of two courtiers who had fallen out of favor, and correctly predicted the death of one of them, and the return of his former position to the other, he was presented to Pharaoh to explain his dream; and having predicted a seven-year famine after seven years of plenty, and having given him wise advice to alleviate this disaster, he received a reward as brilliant for his virtues as he passed difficult trials. He was elevated to the highest dignity according to the king, and invested with the greatest power with solemn signs, which were: a ring from the king’s hand, a scarlet robe, a golden chain, a second royal chariot, a nationwide proclamation and a new name Tsafnaf - paneah, meaning, according to the most accepted explanation, a occultist. Added to this was an important marriage with the daughter of the priest of Iliopolis, from whom Manasseh and Ephraim were soon born. Having carried out the orders inspired by foreknowledge, Joseph became, on the one hand, the savior of Egypt and the support of Pharaoh, and on the other, he received the opportunity to see his entire family again, and also benefit them. When the famine came, his brothers came to Egypt to buy bread. Then he skillfully mixed feigned cruelty with true charity in order to find out their disposition and arouse in them repentance for their previous crimes, and released them without being recognized. But on their second arrival, he revealed himself to them with all brotherly tenderness, and through them invited his father to move to Egypt with his entire family. The need to protect himself from the ongoing famine, and even more the desire to see his mourned son, disposed Jacob to undertake a difficult and long journey. But first he made a sacrifice at the oath well, intending (as the consequence shows) to find out the will of God. God revealed to him in a vision that the ongoing relocation would not interfere with the fulfillment of the predestination shown to him about his offspring. Therefore, he continued his journey to Egypt with his entire family and estate and settled in the land of Goshen, which he had asked from Pharaoh, which lay in the eastern part of lower Egypt and was abundant in pastures. Jacob was one hundred and thirty years old when he appeared before Pharaoh. Around this time, his family numbered up to seventy people, who over time became the heads of numerous tribes. After spending seventeen years in Egypt, Jacob approached death; therefore, calling Joseph, as a sign of his faith in the promise, he commanded him to bury himself along with Abraham and Isaac; and also gave him the land he had acquired near Shechem. He later adopted two sons, Joseph; and, blessing them, preferred Ephraim, despite Joseph's idea of ​​​​the birthright of Manasseh. Having finally gathered all his sons, he predicted for them the fate of their offspring and in it the Church itself. In this case, Judah is exalted more than all his brothers: for he was told that his tribe will receive the scepter, and will produce keepers of the laws until the Prince of the world comes, to whom tongues will be subject. Having completed the prophecy, Israel died and was buried magnificently in the place appointed for them. Joseph lived after this fifty-four years; he saw his descendants up to the third generation, and, dying, he also commanded the Israelites to take their remains to the promised land during the general exodus from Egypt, in which faith assured him. Condition of the Jews in Egypt The condition of the Jews in Egypt, after the death of Joseph, is for the most part sad. In it they lost the fence of their safety. The defeat of the sons of Ephraim from the Gethians, which happened during the life of their father, but whose further details are unknown, was, apparently, the threshold of general disasters 80. The amazing, according to the promise of God, multiplication of the Jewish people was an opportunity for their oppression; since the Pharaohs, fearing that he would become stronger and leave them, tried to exhaust him and reduce his number; the essential reason for this misfortune was hidden in the internal damage of this people by superstitions and wickedness borrowed from the Egyptians, 81 by which the justice of God was aroused to reveal the source of punishment in the blessing itself. The persecution was carried out gradually through hard and continuous work 82, which would not give the Jews time to think about themselves, and which in a hot climate could produce deadly diseases; through a secret order to midwives to kill male Hebrew babies; through the explicit command given to all Egyptians to throw such into the river. However, the effect of God's blessing continued, despite the contrary circumstances; pious Jewish women did not fulfill the will of the king, which was contrary to the law of nature, and God supported them in this disposition with visible signs of His favor; the seed of Jacob multiplied in the midst of oppression; the blows that crushed the straw cleaned the grain, along with the desire for deliverance, the spirit of faith and hope in God increased, 83 and thus the time of liberation predicted for Abraham arrived. During this period there is a distance of time that is not clearly defined in the Genesis of Moses, namely, from the death of Joseph to the birth of Moses. So, the full chronology of this can be obtained no other way than if the time of the wandering of the Jews is correctly explained, which in the revelation of Abraham is depicted as a round number 400, and in other places of Holy Scripture is set exactly at 430 years. None of these numbers means a stay in Egypt: because the Apostle Paul measures the last of them the distance from the covenant and promise of Abraham to the law of Moses 84. Both agree with this instruction, and among themselves, if we set the calling of Abraham and the exodus from Egypt 85 within 430 years, so that the migration to Egypt should be located exactly in the middle of this time; and the beginning of 400 years was the birth of Isaac, which followed 25 years after the first calling 86. Having supplemented this calculation with the years that elapsed before this calling from the birth of Abraham, we find the continuation of the entire period, which is 505 years. Church outside the lineage of Abraham Although in these times the true Church was predominantly preserved in the generation of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so that God exclusively calls Himself their God, however, history has preserved for us examples of such people who, outside this tribe, were members of it, as if as a sign of the future return of the pagans to it. Among several of Abraham's contemporaries, in whom one can notice remnants of the true knowledge of God, stands out Melchizedek, to whose faith the father of believers himself gave his testimony. Those who think to see in him the Son of God, or the Holy Spirit who appeared to Abraham, as well as those who take him for Enoch, Shem, Ham, Peleg, are refuted either by the testimony or by the silence of Holy Scripture 87 . However, his history consists of questions: does he come from Ham, or was he one of the descendants of Shem who moved from Chaldea to the land of Canaan? Was the city of his kingdom Jerusalem, as Joseph thinks, or another Selim, believed by Jerome to be near Shechem 88? Was he called a priest of the Most High God, unlike only the pagans, or did he have this special title among his subjects? The impossibility of satisfying curiosity in this case must be recognized as the work of Providence, which hid the details in order to more perfectly present in this man the features of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, finally revealed in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Another similarly famous man is Job. One can be convinced of his historical existence both from the details found in the book that tells about him, and from other Holy writers who present him as an example of virtue 89. The silence in this story about the glorious miracles of Moses, the religion and patriarchal morals 90, and the very life of Job, which lasted more than 200 years, show that he lived before the exodus from Egypt. His native country, Ausitidian, undoubtedly received its name from Oxus, the first-born of Nahorov, and was located in the northern part of Arabia, rocky near the Euphrates and Mesopotamia. But his family, as well as his friends, can be derived either from the same Nahor, or from the sons of Keturah, who lived in the same countries. The height of his spirit is revealed both in general in his striking adventures and conversations, and especially in the clear and strong confession of the Redeemer 91. Religion of modern times and its sources The True Religion of these Times, as of previous ones, was based on faith in the promised seed. The Apostle leaves no doubt about this when he sets out Abraham’s promise about Christ 92 and ascribes to this Patriarch the truth of faith 93 . The veneration of God in the Trinity, as some have noted, is revealed in the blessing of the children of Joseph, where Jacob calls upon God the Provider, the Deliverer, the Sanctifier 94 . These truths were studied by descendants from their ancestors, repeated by frequent revelations, and experienced by visions in which the Son of God took on the form of a man. Moreover, many mysteries of grace-filled vision in these times were presented in various prototypes: thus the seedless birth of Jesus Christ was depicted in the barrenness of Sarah and Rebecca; the union of the Divine and human natures in Him - in Jacob's vision of the ladder: His suffering, suffered from His family, but later becoming a source of blessing - in the adventures of Joseph; His death on the cross and resurrection are in the sacrifice of Isaac; His eternal priesthood is in Melchizedek; the different states of law and grace in the different fates of Ishmael and Isaac; the grace given to the pagans, but lost by the Jews, is in the blessing of Jacob and Esau; the state of the militant Church - in the pilgrimage of the Jews, and so on. incidents, which even now seem only significant and instructive, should not have been useless for those before whom and with whom they occurred: they bore the stamp of the visible action of Providence, and from this we can conclude that they served for the Patriarchs as a school of saving faith. The external worship of Abraham and his descendants retained ancient simplicity, and mainly consisted of sacrifices. In addition to the initial burnt offering, which served as a confession of faith in the Redeemer, they apparently used sacrifices of salvation, which were offered as a sign of joy and gratitude, and were distinguished by a feast established from the remains of the offering. This can be considered the sacrifice made by Jacob upon reconciliation with Laban 95. The wandering life of the Patriarchs did not allow them to choose one place for worship, much less decorate it. The time and place of sacrifice was often determined by an apparition or other good deed of God; however, the place marked in this way, and the altar once created, were visited with special reverence and were preferably chosen for a new sacred rite 96. Jewish tradition exclusively assigns the right to officiate to the firstborn, but history shows that it was also enjoyed by every head of a family or surname: since he could make offerings who had property 97 . Solemn meetings and public prayers during such actions were undoubtedly not unusual, although they were not described in detail 98 . Visible entry into the community of believers, from the time of Isaac, was accomplished through circumcision. As a sacrament, it signified: in the state preceding it, the uncleanness and corruption of human nature; in its subject and time 99 - correction of damage through the Messiah, who had to be born without a husband; in the very mode of action - internal circumcision, or the mortification of the flesh and the birth of a spiritual man 100. Those who seek the beginning of circumcision in Egypt contradict the testimony not only of Moses, but also of Jesus Christ himself 101. On the contrary, it is very natural that Ismail, Keturah, Esau passed on this ritual to the peoples who descended from them, and from these, or the Jews themselves, the Egyptians and other peoples could borrow it 102. The patriarchs also had some other rituals, which were later partly spread by imitation of posterity, and partly even passed into laws. 1. Rite of purification. It consisted of washing the body and changing clothes, which signified purity of spirit and self-sacrifice. Jacob, on his way from Shechem to Bethel, used this rite as a preparation for the action of the Divine Service 103. 2. Dedication of stones. This was accomplished by pouring out a libation of oil on them. This custom is very ancient among the pagans; but the name βαιτύλια, which the Phoenicians called these stones, seems to prove that they borrowed the ritual itself from Jacob, who performed it twice at Bethel 104. 3. Vows. Jacob made a vow based on the first revelation given to him. Without a doubt, this was not an agreement with God about His benefits, but a humble expression of readiness to accept them and gratitude 105. 4. Tithes. They were given as a sign of submission and gratitude, so their offering was like some kind of ransom for the right to use the rest. The origin of this custom is lost in antiquity; for Abraham's tithe, according to the Jews, was not new. Jacob attributed this royal advantage to the King of kings, dedicating to Him by vow the tithe of all his property, which he probably offered in sacrifice 106. 8. Oaths were pronounced in the name of God with the raising of the hand 107, and often with its position under the thigh 108 of the one to whom they swear. The first of these rites, of course, was the calling of God as a witness; the latter, most of the Jews are classified as circumcised; but Augustine and some Christian Teachers to the promised seed, that is, the Messiah. A special rite of oath was shown by God to Abraham when entering into a covenant with him: it consisted of passing between the two halves of a dissected animal; and was used afterwards on important occasions between the most pagans. 6. Ordination. For the first time it appears in the blessing of the children of Joseph by Jacob, and, moreover, in the form of a cross 109. Through it the communication of the gifts of grace is clearly depicted, since the outstretching of hands usually precedes giving. 7. Marriage ceremony. All that is known about this is that gifts and wine were used with him; and that it was concluded by the authority of the father of the family in the presence of witnesses 110. 8. Funeral rites. They were sent with special attention. These include closing the eyes of the deceased by the closest relatives 111, crying for seven days 112, and the common practice in all sad cases of tearing clothes and putting on sackcloth 113. But the embalming of Jacob's body and the seventy-day mourning of the Egyptians for him belonged to the customs of this last people 114. Morals and characteristics of marriage The morals of the Patriarchs, for the most part, followed the purity of their faith and the simplicity of nature. But the universal customs and vices of the times sometimes either obscured the light of natural law in their eyes, or forced them to somewhat evade it. An example of this is their marriage. The caution with which they moved away from idolatrous tribes was the reason that they often consisted of very close kinship. Polygamy and the use of concubines seemed innocent, on the one hand, out of habit of seeing them between neighbors; on the other hand, due to some imprudent jealousy for the blessing of many children. Therefore, God Himself, apparently, covered up their outward faults with their heartfelt virtues, and turned them to the most holy purposes of His Providence. The right of kinship, by virtue of which the brother was obliged to raise the seed of a brother who died childless from his wife, should, of course, be directed towards the same goals. The history of Judas and his children shows that he considered this duty sacred, despite all the grief he suffered from it 115. Patriarchal rule was nothing more than the power that fathers of families and heads of tribes had over their family. It was based on the natural dependence of children on their father; but seemed to receive special strength from a blessing which they could gain or lose, and of the importance of which they were confident. Therefore, the subordinate members of the Family enjoyed the same power over their children as the general head had over them. In cases involving danger or disgrace of the entire Family, they sometimes used the law of war and peace, and the right of life and death. The experience of the first was especially shown by Abraham; and the effect of the second is seen in the condemnation of Tamar by Judah 116 . But as such, actions were more the result of general customs than of autocratic will; and since the Patriarchs and their descendants, being in a foreign land, were more or less dependent on local rulers 117, their rule cannot be considered monarchical. There is no doubt that the Patriarchs combined knowledge of nature, sufficient for their time, with the knowledge of Divine truths. The experience of this knowledge is found in the artificial change of color made by Jacob in his flocks 118. Despite this, opinions about their methodological enlightenment and about the sciences they improved or invented are doubtful 119. Of the many books attributed to them, the following are worthy of note: יעיךה Yetzirah, or the book of creation, which some even learned Jews consider to be the work of Abraham, and some critics 120 the work of Rabbi Akiba; and the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, which can be considered one of the Apocryphal books of the Old Testament. The book of Job is a clue for dating back to the times of the Patriarchs. Instructing children in wisdom and virtue, and in general spreading the light of truth 121 among the nations, of course, was an important subject for pious men, but traces of the schools 122 that are sought in this history are not visible in it. Spreading False Worship While the kingdom of light was illuminated with new revelations, the prince of darkness with great efforts extended his dominion. From time to time, the children of the Church themselves became disturbers of its peace; and were more or less separated from its unity. An example of this is Ishmael, Esau and their descendants. False worship partly infected the surname of Abraham's elder brother; and consequently threatened the latter’s tribe. Laban worshiped idols when Jacob lived in his house. This ancient family of idols was called Teraphim 123. From consideration of the places of Holy Scripture in which this name is found, we can conclude that these were human images 124 made of metal or other substance 125, sometimes in a diminutive form 126. It is probable that there were two of them, 127 that they represented some famous ancestors; but from monuments of love, little by little they turned into an object of reverence, and at first became household deities 128. In subsequent times these idols were questioned and answers were given, 129 but Laban's superstition does not seem to have extended so far. Rachel, perhaps, did not steal her father’s idols out of superstition: for she showed very little respect for them 130. However, it is known that Jacob, even after this, for quite a long time tolerated the use of idols and supposedly sacred earrings in his house, which were worn as a means of protection from evil 131 . Among the spreaders of pagan worship in these times, in the opinion of some, should be included: the Sabean sect, in which Abraham himself, according to Maimonides 132, was raised; Mercury Trismegistus, who, according to the testimony of Diodorus 133, established the veneration of the gods and their sacred rites in Egypt; Zoroaster of the Chaldeans or Bactrian, whom Justin 134 reveres as the inventor of magic. But since the name of the Sabaeans became known not before the age of Mohammed, and their religion is a mixture of ancient and new teachings 135, and from the five Mercury 136 and three or two Zoroasters 137, about the first, especially, all information is gleaned either from works falsely attributed to them 138, or from writers of later times, and do not have reliability, it is difficult to decide whether the effect of these ghosts of antiquity extends to faith of the ancients, or only on the gullibility of the newest. The modernity of peoples outside the Church Legends about peoples either already flourishing or newly emerging in this period of time are generally filled with doubts and uncertainty. In relation to the Church, they constituted, as it were, different areas through which the kingdom of darkness spread, and in which the light of faith was rarely shown. The most famous of these are: 1. Babylonians. After Nevrod, their only king, whom Moses mentions, is Amraphel, a contemporary of Abraham 139. He was among the allies, among whom Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, took precedence; from which it is clear that, contrary to the fables of Ctesias, the kingdom of Babylon at that time was not extensive. 2. Assyrians. Even less is known about this people. The time of his strength has not yet come. The beginning of his rule will have to be attributed to the time of the Judges, if the continuation is put with Herodotus 140 to 520 years. 3. Egyptians. Their kingdom was at that time the strongest and most prosperous. The kings of lower Egypt had the common name of Pharaoh, which some 141 think means "free." The glorification of Joseph is believed to be under Meframutoz, the persecution of the Jews under Rameses Miamun, the exodus under his son Amenophis, who ends the seventeenth dynasty in Manetho; but others connect the beginning of this dynasty with the end of this period. Not without reason, the Egyptians are credited with knowledge of medicine 142 chemistry 143 and some other sciences 144 even before the time of Moses. What belongs to their religion, no matter how much some try to justify and exalt it with symbolic explanations, but the prohibitions that God gave to the Israelites against their errors 145, their disgust with the shepherds who kill animals 146, and the ridicule of the pagans themselves 147 clearly show that they rudely deified not only people and the heavenly bodies, but also dumb animals and the most insignificant things. 4. Canaanites and Phoenicians. The latter are a branch of the former, and sometimes mixed with them. The name Phoenicians came either from the abundance of dates in their country, or from the glorious generation of the sons of Anak 148, distinguished by their extraordinary height and strength of body. Also strong among neighbors were the Philistines, Egyptian settlers who left their name to Palestine. In general, the small Canaanite peoples are known for nothing more than superstition and corruption, which finally brought punishment from God on them. 5. Peoples of Arabia. The name Arabia is not without reason derived from confusion. After the descendants of Hus and Jektan, the brother of Peleg, the Moabites and Ammonites, the descendants of Lot, settled in it; the Ishmaelites, divided into twelve tribes, according to the number of the sons of Ishmael, of which the most famous are: Navai, Kedar, Duma and Teman; the Midianites, and some other tribes descended from Keturah; The Edomites from Esau, between whom the generation of his grandson Amalek differed. The Edomites were ruled first by elders, and then had eight kings 149, and perhaps several rulers subordinate to their people 150 before the kingdom of Israel was formed. 6. Greeks. Inachus, the first king of Argos, is considered by some to be a contemporary of Abraham or Isaac, and is derived from Phenicia 151 . Soon after this, Ogyges reigned in Attica and Boeotia. The migration of Kekrops, which begins the era of Athens, is believed to be around the time of the birth of Moses. The Kingdom of Crete is considered the most ancient; but its beginning is even less reliable. The religion of the Greeks, apparently, was purer before Kekrops than after him 152. In the ancient name Jeus, from which the newer Zeus was derived, one can notice traces of the worshiped name of Jehovah. 7. Phrygians. This people can argue about antiquity with the Egyptians, but the first monument of this antiquity is the worship of Tsibele, combined with shameful fables. The history of this period is outside the Holy Scriptures The history of the Patriarchs and Jews, contained in this period, has many testimonies about itself outside of Holy Scripture, although, however, it does not need them for its reliability. Joseph 153, speaking about Abraham, brings Berosus, Hecataeus, Nicholas of Damascus; and Eusebius 154 Eupolemos, Artapana and Melena. Justin follows them in his History. The misfortune of Sodom is mentioned by Strabo 155, Tacitus 156, Diodorus 157 and Pliny 158. Although some of them sometimes err in details, like Nicholas, who says that Abraham reigned in Damascus; but nevertheless the truth of the main incidents is assumed. In some fables, especially Greek, traces of Patriarchal History are also found, such as God's visit to Abraham - in the visit of Philemon and Baucis by Jupiter 159; the punishment of Lot's wife is the transformation of Niobe; the sacrifice of Isaac - in the sacrifice of Iphigenia undertaken by her father Agamemnon, but stopped by a voice from heaven. In general, the sacrifice of people most likely results from reckless imitation of the example of Abraham. The opinion about the idolization of Joseph, under the name of Serapis, is not so probable, because this does not agree with his quick oblivion in Egypt, which Moses testifies to 160. Finally, the history of the Shepherd Kings 161 in Egypt, which Josephus 162 copied from Manetho, but which Herodotus and Diodorus do not have, according to Grotius and some others, is nothing more than the history of the Jews, disfigured partly by ignorance and partly by partiality 163 . Life XI, 28, according to the Hebrew text. This story is found in Bereshit - bora. Perhaps the name Ura, which means Fire or Light, led to its invention by chance. The key to this reckoning is found in the years of the life of Joseph, who was six years old at the time of his return to the land of Canaan. Life XXX, 25; XXXI, 41; and thirty-nine during the migration to Egypt. Ibid XLI, 46, 53; XLV40;, 6. See ibid XXXII, 3 and XXXVI, 6. 1 Par. VII, 21, 22. It should be noted that the genera counted in this place are not all sequential. See Num. XXVI, 39; according to the Hebrew text: 35. Ezek. XX, 7, 8; XXIII, 3. These works consisted of making bricks, building cities, and cultivating the land. Joseph in the book II, Chapter 5, adds the structure of the pyramids. This is how we should understand the words of Ex. XII, 40. True, this place is not as clear in the Hebrew text as in the Greek and Samaritan; for in it only the wandering of the sons of Israel, who stayed in Egypt, was 450 years. But without refuting this reading, we will only note 1) that in Holy Scripture often ancestors and descendants are combined into one concept, see Gen. XII, 2, 3. 2) that the number of years does not refer here to the stay in Egypt, but to wandering in general. Therefore, the meaning of this passage can be extended to Jacob himself, and even Isaac and Abraham, who came to the land of promise as a stranger. Heb. XI, 9. Five years, which here exceed the number 400, mean nothing against this round number assigned by Gen. in XV, 13. In confirmation of this calculation, one can notice in this place the difference between the state of migration or wandering, from the state of enslavement and oppression. The last was in Egypt, and the first in the land of Canaan. The fourth kind (oppression), in Gen. XV, p. 13. Some count from the entry into Egypt, while others mean through this fulfillment the same 400 years. He is not the Son of God, for he is likened to the Son of God. Heb. VII, 3. He is not God, for he is a priest; but every priest is accepted from a man, Heb. V, 1, through carnal, that is, birth. Ezek. XIV, 14; Jacob 5, 11. They ask: why does Joseph not mention him? – Answer: he writes the History of his people. But Paul does not talk about him when he enumerates the men famous for their faith in the Old Testament. Why not apply the expression to it: made strong by weakness? Heb. XI, 34. Frequent revelations also belong here: Job. ХХХV40;III, 1; XLII, 7 and mentioned in ch. XXXI, the most ancient kind of idolatry. Life XXXI, 54. This type of sacrifice, before it was approved by the law, was apparently already known to Jethro, Moses' father-in-law. Ref. XV40;III, 12, Hebrews, Ex. XXXII. 6, and to the Gentiles themselves, Ex. XXXIV, 15. The most famous of these places were Bethel and the Oath Store. Some people think that in these times there were already churches. Lucian speaks of the church of Deucalion (I. De Dea Syr.), who is usually revered as Noah. Julius Firminus (De egg. proph. rel.) mentions churches built by the Egyptians in honor of Joseph. But these writers could be deceived by relying on fabulous legends, or judging the ancients by the customs of their time. Churches mentioned by Moses, wooden handicrafts, Lev. XXVI, 30, guards, Numbers XXX, 52, artels of Canaan, do not mean churches, as Spentzer thinks (de leg. Habgaeog. 1, 3), but elevated altars, statues placed in an open place, sculptures. The priesthood of the firstborn is proven: 1) by the clothing of Esau, Genesis XXVII, 1, used during the blessing of Jacob, which is considered priestly, 2) by the name of the defiler, βί ϐ ηλος, given to Esau for neglecting the firstborn; Heb. XII, 16. 3) the sanctification of the firstborn after the exodus from Egypt, Ex. XIII, 2, whose place was taken after Levita; 4) sacrifice of the priests, Ex. XIX, 22, and the young men of Israel Ex. XXIV, 5, before the dedication of Aaron. But 1) the opinion about Esau’s clothing has no basis in the narrative of Moses; 2) Esau could be called βί ϐ ηλος, although the primacy he sold did not include the priesthood; 3) the firstborn were sanctified by God, according to some, not as priests, but as a sacrifice: and the Levites who took their place were not priests, but their servants; finally 4) the young priests could only be the most distinguished men among the people. Our opinion is confirmed by the sacrifice of Abel, Jacob in Mesopotamia, Moses before the dedication of Aaron; also by the fact that, under the law, each father of the family held the office of priest during Easter. See phil. Jnd. lib. de vita Mosis. Jacob's worship at Bethel, judging by the preparations of the entire family, and other circumstances, should have been very solemn. Life XXXV, about prayer, see Gen. XII, and, XXV, 21. A certain time is appointed for circumcision, so as not to give rise to negligence, not too close to birth, when one could doubt the vitality of the baby; not too distant, so that his parents would soon have the consolation of seeing him in the covenant; precisely the eighth day, because some people think that the restoration of man through the uprising of the Redeemer was to take place on the day following the seventh. See Acts. VII, 51; Rome. II, 28, 29. Although Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus perform circumcision from the Egyptians; but they could be deceived in this due to ignorance of Jewish history. On the contrary, Joseph and Eusebius (in praep. Eus.) cite the pagan writer Theodore, who in this case speaks in agreement with Moses. It should be noted that circumcision of the Egyptians was attributed only to priests (Eus. Pr. Eu. L. IV. Or. in Ep. ad Rom. L. II.) Why was Pythagoras circumcised during initiation into their sacraments (CI. Alex, strom. L. I.); and that the time of this is considered by them, as well as by the Ishmaelites, to be the thirteenth year of age (Joseph. ancient book, V). These very differences in Egyptian circumcision can be explained from Jewish circumcision, but not vice versa. In the rites of this latter, used in subsequent times, for current customs, it is worthy of note that circumcision was performed in the arms of the recipient, and at the same time the baby was given a name. Ibid. XXVIII, 18; and XXXV, 14. .Ibid. L, 10. See Sir. XXII, 11. Life XXIII, XXVI, etc. Against Onerocritique attributed to Joseph, see Gen. XLI, 16. His exercise in Magic is proven from Gen. XLIV, 5; but this can be understood as a simple guess based on prudence. Dionys. Woss. in not. Maymonid. L. de idololatria. In this mind, one can accept the name of the Prophet given to Abraham, Gen. XX, 7. To show the groundlessness of this conjecture, it is enough to point to its evidence. Life XII, 5; and XVIII, 19. Court. XVII, which is not one, shows that the name itself is plural. Ezek. XXI, 21. Zach. X, 2. In More neuoch p. III, p. 29. Vid. Spence. de Leg. Ebr. ril. lib. II. el Hoff. hist. orient. Cic. de ual. Deor, L, III. Instead of twenty or thirty thousand books of Mercury, as Jamblichus believes, we have only Pimander and Asclepius; two small works that are considered the work of the first centuries of Christianity. Platonic and Christian teachings are mixed in them with the remnants of Egyptian philosophy; and there is even a name όμο ȣ σιος. . Zoroaster's proclamations are no more respected See Alb, Fab. Bib, Graee. L.I.s. 7, 36. Ref. XXXII, 20, Deut. IX, 21. B. XLVI, 34. The Egyptians themselves had herds, B. XLVH, 16; but they, of course, did not kill animals, for this killing was condemned by the Egyptians Ex. VIII, 26. Cum poеtarum autem errore coniungere licet portаta Magurum aegupotiorumque in eodem generedemetium Ctc de nat. Dcor, ענק בני See Num. XIII, 23, 34. The name Inach seems to have come from Enak; and hence both gods and kings are called ἂ ναχτες. Eusebius says that he was the first to slaughter an ox and called upon Jupiter, which seems to mean a change in ancient worship. Here are their similarities with the Jews: 1) the name of the Kings - shepherds, or, according to another explanation, foreign shepherds; 2) coming from the east, 3) an ordinary family; 4) power over Egypt without war; 5) taxes imposed on the Egyptians; 6) removal from Egypt after the futile efforts of the Egyptian king to conquer them; 7) arrival in Judea and creation of Jerusalem. But there is no similarity: Kings - shepherds 1) oppressed the people, burned cities and destroyed churches; 2) fortified the city of Avaris, and stationed 240,000 troops in it; 3) lived in Egypt for 511 years. Anyone who wants to extract pure truth from this confusion should note that it was not in general beneficial for the Egyptians to be sincere in the reasoning of the Jews; from which also came the fable about the disgusting leprosy, for which they were supposedly expelled from Egypt; and that such ill-will was especially evident in Manetho, while Ptolemy Philadelphus was the patron of the Jewish people. See Budd. Hist. EU. V, T. per. I, s. III. You might be interested in: